The Warriors have trampled every challenge put in their way this season: 67 wins, two losses at home, the likely MVP in Stephen Curry and the expected Coach of the Year in Steve Kerr.
But for all those regular-season accomplishments, the NBA’s top team could not simulate a potential seven-game war with the defending champion Spurs.
“The Warriors are very good, but the Spurs be rotating fresh bodies at Curry and how will he respond,” SiriusXM analyst Brian Scalabrine said.
“That’s the most intriguing matchup in the entire playoffs. That’s what everyone wants to see. The Spurs are going to rotate bodies on him the whole series and when Steph gets going, can [Kawhi] Leonard shut him down or can the Warriors go to a different spot out there where — maybe it’s Klay Thompson for a time — to get over the hump offensively? There’s no question Curry is going to get it going in the playoffs, but the question is can he survive a seven-game grueling series against that team?”
Both teams must first endure two rounds in what was once again a brutal Western Conference. The Warriors do have an easier route as the top seed, opening against the Pelicans, while the Spurs open in Los Angeles against a depth-deprived, but extremely talented, Clippers squad.
”The Spurs are the best team in the NBA I’ve seen live,” said Scalabrine, who played with the Nets, Bulls and won a title with the Celtics in 2008.
“The Warriors are really good, trust me I know that. But the way the Spurs move the ball, they are making difficult passes look easy, which causes guys to shift and causes all sorts of problems.”
Scalabrine said he anticipates the Cavaliers to be waiting in the Finals for whichever team survives the West. The snake-bit franchise survived a rocky 19-20 start, questions surrounding LeBron James and Kevin Love’s relationship, a much-maligned two-week South Beach break for the King and a lack of depth up front to eventually reach the No. 2 seed.
But Scalabrine said none of this would be possible without the January trades that brought J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov to Cleveland.
“For LeBron James to be unstoppable he needs two things: a big who could set a screen and roll, catch and finish, which he has in Mozgov; and shooting, which creates space,” said Scalabrine, who tabbed the Bulls, not the top-seeded Hawks, as the biggest threat.
“I think you’re seeing a team whose only weakness is playoff inexperience, which isn’t going to last very long because right off the jump they are going to get their feet wet against the Celtics. It seems very difficult for someone in the East to beat this Cavs team. But let’s see how Kevin Love and Kyrie [Irving] play. I’m assuming Kevin Love will make shots and Kyrie will be Kyrie.”